Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - July 7, 2023
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. The Problem of Evil, Part 6
  2. All-Creatures.Org Ministry

1. The Problem of Evil, Part 6

I have been exploring the question: If God is good and God is all-powerful, why is there evil in the world? Previously, I have considered and found unsatisfactory all but #2 from the list below, and today I will consider #2.

  1. God is not good.
  2. God is not all-powerful.
  3. There is no evil. In other words, while perhaps imperfect, this is the best of all possible worlds.
  4.  Without the option to choose between good and evil, humans could never exercise free will. Free will is important for, among other things, discerning who deserves heavenly reward and who deserves punishment in hell.
  5. There is no contradiction, because God’s truth is different from human truth.
  6. There is no God, and therefore there is no theodicy problem.

I regard God as a creative process. I leave open the question of what, exactly, God created and the degree to which God remains creative. This creativity explains consciousness, and more specifically my own consciousness. If God as a creative process went to the trouble of creating, it seems reasonable to believe that God wants the fruits of creativity to thrive. As a conscious recipient of this creativity who can experience joy, I should express my gratitude to God by helping other conscious beings to thrive and find joy.

What about the problem of evil? For reasons beyond my comprehension, it seems that God is not able to alter the laws of physics. Consequently, when an airplane crashes, the chemical bonds that hold together the bodies of kind and decent people are broken as well as the bonds that hold together the bodies of malevolent people. In other words, I suggest that God is not all-powerful.

The above reasoning involves a progression of hypotheses, none of which is provable and all of which are challenged by the fact that there is massive pain and suffering throughout the world as well as widespread joy. Ultimately, my view that God wants us to help creation thrive rests on faith, a faith that is informed by the facts of the world (including my own experiences) and a faith that, I acknowledge, might be wrongheaded. At the end of the day, we must choose how to live. I choose to live as if God wants creation to thrive. I regard this choice is reasonable and, importantly, it is a choice that, if incorrect, will not cause harm.

Next, I will discuss why I think this is the faith of Christ, and how this faith is needed by humanity.

Stephen R. Kaufman, MD

2. From All-Creatures.Org Ministry

We hope you enjoy this week’s newsletter. It includes From Evil to Paradise: From Farm to Sanctuary — Reading Vegan Books Aloud Together Online — hunting equipment destroyed — horseshoe crabs' blue blood — activists, free speech, and litigation — veganism and global hunger? — poetry: nightmares about captive Dolphins, a Bobcat visits a camper’s tent, invisible force of vegan activism — floods drown 60,000 caged Hens — publishing bias encourages animal experimentation — and more...

All-Creatures.org Newsletter, July 5, 2023

Do you have things that you would like to see included? Then send it to us at veda@all-creatures.org. 

In the Love of the Lord,
Frank L Hoffman
All-Creatures.org

and

Kindness,
Tams Nicholson
Executive Directress
All-Creatures.org 

2023 Newsletters Archive